JonathonCrow

Burnt motor oil 

I’ve forged a Kukri from a blade from a John Deere mower. Does anyone know the right quench liquid for this? I have plenty of oil and water available, but I want to make sure I get it right. Any input is appreciated. 

I love anything that has to do with tools, especially blacksmithing tools. I’ve seen swage blocks for sale in several places, but they are quite expensive. I’ve been very tempted to buy one, but I’ve questioned their overall usefulness versus how much they cost. Does anyone think they’re worth the small fortune that people ask? If so, what is a fair price?

On 2/20/2018 at 12:19 AM, ThomasPowers said:

 

When using bandsaw blades, which I have a multitude of, do you grind the teeth off prior to putting them in your billet? And do you stack the straps and blades in one stack or two stacks side by side to get a wider billet?

Thanks, man. I appreciate it. 

I have hammers from 1 pound all the way up to a 30 pound Monster Maul (not technically a hammer but serves as one) and would like to try making a damascus knife or hammer. I’ve never tried damascus before as I’m fairly new to forging. My question is this: is it possible to do any sort of damascus with only hand hammers? I’m a broke high school kid and can’t afford a power hammer. Any input is appreciated, thanks. 

I have been using Cowboy Brand from Ace. Works well for railroad spikes but it takes a lot of it to heat larger and harder pieces of metal. If I could get it for $12 per bag would it be more economical and effective than coke?

I live in Georgia and coke is hard to come by for a reasonable price. I have to order it from somewhere like Centaur Forge for $63 per bag. I am new to forging and have been using charcoal with some success, but would like to give coke or coal a try. Is it worth the cost, or should I stick with lump charcoal at $25 per bag?